Paper hanging folders, for use in standard storage units such as file cabinets, desk drawers and the like, are a necessary tool in modern offices and businesses. Such folders in the art are best exemplified by expired U.S. Pat. No. 2,291,724, which was assigned to the assignee of the present application. This reference describes a file formed by a sheet of heavy material with a central horizontal fold which forms the folder's bottom and open sides. Folds are provided in the file's top edges through which hanging rods are movably or immovably fixed. The ends of these rods are exposed and notched, enabling the file to hang on a complementary standard parallel file frame in office storage equipment, such as filing cabinets and desk drawers.
The inner surfaces at the tops of the folded-over portions contain uniformly spaced slots for insertion of labeling tabs. These slots often tear or wear out as new tabs are inserted or removed, due to the need for frequent file relabeling or repositioning of labels in alternative slots of the file. Also, when the user inserts the tabs of the label into the slots, close attention is required because the opening of the slot and the material behind it are generally identical in color. Due to the wear and tear on tab slots, files are often replaced simply because the tab slots are torn or worn out, rendering the file useless. Also, handling during normal use and tab changing causes additional wear on the top of the file due to the release of body oils and friction between the paper and fingers. This type of wear is not diminished by the rods disposed through the file's top folds, because finger oils and friction break down the material of the file, which is generally paper, regardless of the underlying support of the rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,121 discloses a hanging folder with a reinforcing plastic film applied to the side edges to reduce wear on the side of the file as it is moved in the frame. This film may be applied with colored adhesive to provide a color coding system or a clear film may be applied over a colored surface by a clear adhesive to achieve the same result. Similar side reinforcing techniques are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,523,776 and 4,580,815.
When hanging files are filled with a large volume of paper, the sides tend to spread away from each other and the bottom lifts. However, the present inventor has learned that when the file holds a narrow heavy object, the bottom of the file drags along the bottom of the drawer or other container for the frame, leading to wear and tear on the bottom of the file. This necessitates file replacement before the body of the file has worn out.
It is clear that a need exists for a hanging folder file which has a strong bottom to hold the weight of its contents and to guard against wear due to its being dragged along the bottom of a drawer. Also, a reinforced top edge is needed to guard against wear from handling and the insertion of tabs. A need further exists for a folder which makes tab insertion easy and faster than folders of the prior art now allow.